


Be Brave

by Basicallyitstheeyebrows



Category: Doctor Who (2005), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Crossover, Eventual Smut, F/M, Historically Inaccurate, Romance, Slow Burn, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-04-05 14:12:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14046003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basicallyitstheeyebrows/pseuds/Basicallyitstheeyebrows
Summary: Clara, a young and ambitious woman, with a marvellous reputation as a midwife suddenly finds herself in the midst of the french court confronted by not only intrigues but also Cardinal Richelieu, who she seems to just not get along with.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what can I say? I was so tempted to write this story. The Cardinal, he just does things to me. I guess this will be loaded with sexual tension, just a fair warning, but there will also be some storyline, because who doesn't love a slowburn. ;) Oh and I'm going to change history….a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey bit.  
> I apologize in advance: English is not my first language and I’m sure there will be loads of mistakes. Anyway I hope you enjoy my little tale.

_Be brave._

Clara wasn't exactly sure what she has gotten herself into. She practically ran through the foggy streets of Paris, an infinite web of darkness, intrigues and dirt. She never really felt at home in this quite peculiar city. She already lived here for more than 13 years in relative safety, but still she couldn't understand all the buzz about this awful smelling, noisy filth hole. It was nothing compared to England, the crisp air, the rocky cliffs or the heavy rain. She remembered running with her father through the fields when taking the carriage wasn't possible anymore because of the muddy roads. He was clinging to his case with the set of instruments while Clara ran after him carrying another case with clean clothes. It had been exhausting and cold and stressful, but she had felt so alive in those moments. Or the way the spring sun had kissed her face while walking along the cliffs and watching the rough sea. Perhaps she didn't really miss her home but missed the freedom she had at that time. Here she was surrounded by terrible poverty and sickening wealth and of course by people. There was never a time she was not surrounded by people. It was something she needed to get used to in the beginning. However, the toughest challenge for her was how the people in Paris bored her. They were practically all the same. Once you figured out one of them, you knew them all, greedy, double-tongued and twisted. There was no depth, no profound thinking, no real surprises whatsoever. Clara stopped thinking about the good old days. It didn't make any sense and if she was honest with herself she would admit, that she probably idealized her past. After all they had to give up everything and flee in the middle of the night because the situation as Catholics got too dangerous in England. 

Totally out of breath she finally reached her destination. Today she really could prove that her reputation didn't come from nowhere. She worked hard for the past three years since she obtained a diploma and license to legally practice midwifery. Passing the exam was difficult but somehow, she did it. Her father proud but already sick died a couple of months later. She then moved and quickly built up a practice in the city center. As a skilled midwife, she slowly but steadily worked her way up and helped more and more noble women to bear their children. Clara very well knew that she owed her success not only to her efforts but first and foremost to three circumstances. First of all, her family was wealthy. She would have never ever had these possibilities to get a proper education. Secondly, her father was a well-known English, later on French doctor. Her mother died from childbed fever, so Clara always just had her father. He did his best to care for her and taught her from an early age on about everything he knew. As a child she didn't understand how privileged she was and that it was no matter of course that she was taught to read and write. Also, her father treated her with respect and made her an independent freethinking woman. This had advantages as well as disadvantages. She had to adapt very quickly when arriving at Paris and learn how to hold her tongue. Women expressing their opinions were not exactly most men's cup of tea. Women, who worked and enjoyed their profession, even successful with what they were doing, they were even less popular. Luckily her father taught her French that well that nowadays she didn't have the slightest accent since English women are even worse than working women. 

The last person she was much obliged to was Louise Bourgeois Boursier, a French midwife and the most famous one there existed. She helped raise the art from folklore to science through many writings and her methods. Since 1627 she was technically retired as a midwife, but still delivered children for the French royal family. She had heard of the remarkable reputation of Clara Olivier - Clara and her father had to give up their English surname when coming to France - and wrote her a letter with a proposition to promote her. Madame Boursier explained, she needed a successor because she wanted to retire for good to focus on her writings. Clara would be the ideal replacement since she already knew all the important noble families, but in fact she never had the hunger for power. She wanted to study, to improve her methods, wanted to help even more women and also midwifes who didn't had the access to proper education so far. She knew with saying yes to this huge proposition she would suddenly find herself in the midst of a battlefield. The French court was a dangerous place, full of intrigues, schemes and lying. Clara would be completely on her own there. She could probably trust no one and there would be a great responsibility. The queen, Anne of Austria, already had three stillbirths. Expectations were pretty high at the French court due to the need of an heir. Yet she would finally be at the source of all knowledge, read so much about the newest discoveries, teach herself medically but also expand her knowledge in art, literature and philosophy. She didn't even need a day to answer Madame Boursier. Now, a week later, she found herself at the palais of a very close and very pregnant friend of the queen. Clara has taken over Madame Boursiers patients to earn the approval of the queen. 

Elizabeth de Beauchamp, Marquise de Condorcet, was staring at her with this typical angry but also aching look in her eyes. 

"Why ON EARTH do you come so late?"

She practically screamed at her because of the contractions. 

Clara explained calmly: "I came as fast as I could and I'm here now, that's all that matters. Everything will be perfectly fine, I promise you." 

The Marquise calmed down a bit, but another painful contraction let her scream all over again. Clara reacted quickly and while getting to work she gave very clear instructions to her handmaids. Thirty minutes later Clara was holding a healthy little baby boy in her arms. That rush of endorphins after helping to give birth to a newborn never changed, neither after ten nor hundred babies. After a last examination of the baby and the mother, her work was done. The exhausted Marquise welcomed her son with open arms and kissed him over and over again before handing him to her nursemaid. When Clara wanted to bow and bid her farewell, the woman softly took her hand into hers. 

"Thank you, Mademoiselle Olivier. Thank you…" She looked at her with the most sincerity and gratitude.

"It was all you, Marquise de Condorcet. You did great and gave birth to a beautiful healthy boy. Now relax and sleep, and if there are any problems or if you are in pain please send for me."

"God bless you…" 

Clara smiled warm-heartedly before bowing once more and going downstairs to deliver the happy news to the waiting father. Surprisingly the doors to the living room were closed and she could hear muted voices whispering to each other. It was half past eleven, so quite late for visitors. A servant passing by informed her that the Marquis will be ready for her in a couple of minutes. So, she waited a couple of minutes, an hour, two hours. 

_Obviously, this visit must be pretty urgent. What else is more important than the birth of his firstborn?_

Well, she certainly wouldn't sit here all night. Rapidly she stood up in the search for a servant to tell him she would leave. At the exact same moment, the doors opened at last and Clara gaped at the scene in front of her. There was the Marquis sitting in the back with hanging shoulders, looking completely devastated. What really attracted her attention was the man who left the room. He was striding elegantly through the room clothed all in black, his impressive cloak fluttering around with every step he took and of course the gentle dangling of the huge cross necklace he wore. He halted right in front of her, probably the most powerful man in France, looking at her unimpressed, stern and disapproving like she was some sort of insect. 

_Asshole._

She frowned at him before reluctantly curtsying. Instead of greeting the cardinal like etiquette would demand, she decided to ignore him and cut right to the chase.

"Marquis de Condorcet, I wanted to inform you that your wife is well and resting as well as your child."

His eyes finally looked up. 

"What…what is it?" 

"A boy, my lord."

A faint smile crossed his face before he stared out of the window. 

"Thank you for your assistance", he mumbled absently. 

The cardinal watched her attentively the whole time. 

"Congratulations! I take my leave now but please send the Marquise my best wishes." 

Even while speaking to the Marquis his eyes never left her. His arrogant gaze started to annoy her immensely, but she tried her best to not say something stupid she would regret later. 

_Ignore him. He is just a snotty presumptuous idiot with a fancy name and a fancy cloak._

The Marquis nodded before turning away and ending this strange conversation. 

Expectantly the cardinal waited for her to do him the honor of bowing again. A disparagingly smile was plastered across his hawkish features. 

_Oh great, let me know that I'm just a pile of unimportant shit to you. Well, guess what, I feel exactly the same about you._

She put her best fake smile on, that one, where even the stupidest understood that it was fake, and bowed.

"Au revoir, Cardinal."

Finally, he turned around and left. 

Clara exhaled, relived this was over and left too. Instead of taking a carriage she decided to walk with the hood of her cloak on, so she could vanish in the darkness and catch a bit of fresh air. At home she distracted herself with reading. Somehow the cardinal rubbed her the wrong way. Until now she had just heard about his politics and of course like with every famous person there were various rumors circulating. She never really cared for any of it and now was definitely the wrong time to start. So, she concentrated on her reading again and forgot about the whole incident.

Soon Madame Boursiers contacted her again and told her that the queen was willing to meet Clara. A week later, in the middle of March 1631, everything was arranged. Nervously she picked at her plain grey dress a couple of times while sitting in the carriage. She never liked wearing these fancy colorful dresses with plunging necklines young fashionable women wore today. She preferred simple, basic and convenient. One of her closest friends convinced her to style her hair at least and helped her do one of these ridiculous updos in the morning. Admittedly it looked quite pretty but still she applied for being her midwife, not some fashion expert. 

_Concentrate on what's important!  
_

Arriving at the impressive Palais du Louvre Clara was brought to the chambers of the queen walking through several hallways. Eventually they reached her habitable room where the queen was playing a card game with a few ladies. Clara was properly introduced by a servant, and she dropped a curtsy. 

"Your Majesty, I'm honored and delighted to finally meet you."

Anne continued playing, looking bored.

"I've heard a lot about you and your talent as a midwife. Madame Boursiers kept talking about it on and on. I have to admit it got quite bothersome at the end. But then Elizabeth, the Marquise de Condorcet, contacted me as well as some other close friends of mine, and told me about you, so I'll take you must be good."

"That's very kind of you to say, milady."

Her face went from bored to stern.

"As you certainly know, there still isn't an heir to the throne. This time I want to be sure that everything goes well."

Now the queen looked at Clara directly.

"I don't trust you, but I trust Madame Boursiers. She will tell you everything you need to know. You will accompany her and help her out. For now, you will live here so I can call for you if needed. After the child is born and I see that I can trust you, you will take her position, so I can fulfill her wish and send her into retirement."

Anne touched her stomach - judging by the looks of it Clara guessed she already was in her eight month - and sighed.

"Milady, are you in pain?"

Another piercingly look was sent into her direction.

"The child is just very active."

"I could help with that if I may."

Seconds of silence passed. Anne was clearly overthinking her offer.

"How?"

"So far I have had a lot of success with a special massage technique as well as warm flannels. We could try and perhaps it soothes your pain a little."

"Madame Boursiers is not here right now…" Anne was still skeptical.

"I'm sure she would approve", Clara replied self-confident.

That obviously did the trick. 

"Ladies, that's enough for today."

Twenty minutes later Clara was in the queen's bedchambers with a maid who had brought her everything she needed. The queen herself entered a couple of minutes later, wearing a loose nightdress. Her belly was now clearly visible beneath the satin. Another maid entered after her. Clara guessed they remained in the room because of Anne's trust issues which she could understand. She was a complete stranger to her. Being a midwife required trust which she still had to earn. 

"Make yourself comfortable, milady." 

She lied down and fidgeted nervously with the bedsheets while trying at the same time to hide her frayed nerves. 

Clara sat down beside her and suddenly everything came very natural to her. 

"Milady, I've heard so much about you…"

Anne snorted.

"…but never about your home. May I ask, what's Austria like?"

Anne looked at the ceiling while Clara was watching her intently, radiating assurance and interest. 

"Well, most of the time it's pretty cold and unpleasant. The people are grumpy and small-minded and the Viennese court old-fashioned. I hated living there."

She made a long pause before continuing. 

"But sometimes we would make a trip through the country and see the mountains from afar. As a child I was always fascinated and at once scared by those massive giants. One day, I thought, they would wake up and take me with them, make them one of theirs. I stared at them for hours, just to see if one of them would move even a little but nothing ever happened."

Softly Clara touched her stomach and started to massage it slowly. Anne visibly relaxed more and more.

"So, I decided if they don't come to me I'll become one of them. I studied them, their wild nature, being unpredictable and steady at the same time and started to get as strong, as self-assured as them."

She became silent again and lost herself in thought. In comfortable silence Clara continued massaging her stomach before using the warm flannels, which the maid had prepared. 

"Let them on for half an hour, rest, and if you wake up, you'll see the pain will be gone." The queen sleepily nodded while Clara and the maid covered her with a blanket.

"You know", she whispered half asleep, "I accepted to meet you not so much because of Madame Boursiers or because of my friend's recommendations, I accepted because the Cardinal explicitly and strongly advised me against employing you."

Clara's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Enemies of the cardinal are my friends. That's why I let you come to me in the first place."

"Thank you for your honesty, Milady. Now rest and sleep well."

She immediately dozed off and Clara and the two maids left the room. While a servant showed her all the important rooms including her own she tried her best to compose herself. When finally being alone and having some time to settle in, she exploded inwardly.

_This fucking arsehole advised strongly against me? What the hell is wrong with this arrogant shithead? He doesn't even know me, so what is his problem? We met once, ONCE, and back then I did everything that stupid etiquette demanded. What is his endgame here? I mean, my position as a MIDWIFE is absolutely insignificant to him. It's the most unpolitical position there is, so why did he even occupy himself with that nonsense?_

Clara was pacing the room and decided she couldn't abandon it. He nearly mulcted her of her position. She had to confront him and find out whatever this was about but at the same time she knew that she should take every step deliberately. The wisest move was probably to let it rest for now and observe the whole situation.

After half an hour she looked after the queen again, who was much better now, and a gentle bond of trust started to form between them. When Clara was eventually dismissed till the evening, mainly to get her belongings, she was provided with a carriage. Quickly with the help of the coachman and due to her modest lifestyle, she had everything packed and securely fixed to the carriage. Back in her room she sat down on one of the chairs and looked around properly. So, this was her new home. 

_All right. I mean, how bad could it be? You can do this, just be brave._


	2. The Complication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you so much for your kind comments, suggestions and kudos! I was so happy about each and single one of them. Here is the new chapter. Hope you like it!  
> Just a fair warning: Don't quote me on the medical aspect of this chapter. :) I tried to research some of it and haven't had the best of luck. I still hope it's medically somehow tolerable.

One week has passed since she started living at the French court. It was a week filled with meeting new people, developing routines, getting to know the queen a little better and finding her way around this huge palace. She hardly had the time for anything else. Out of good nature the queen allowed her to look after her current patients. At least as long as they were still pregnant. Clara tried her best not to neglect them, but it was harder than expected. Anne still didn't trust her. Therefore, she watched her very closely. When Clara went to one of her patients a servant of the queen had to come along with her. She could go nowhere without being observed. Even in the palace she quickly discovered that everyone worked for somebody to report whatever the man or woman who pulled the strings behind the scenes wanted to know. Constantly she was accompanied by the feeling of being watched. This sentience of losing her freedom was excruciating. Thus, she tried her best to win the queens trust so the whole situation got more tolerable for her. The visits to other households gave her at least the impression that she wasn't a complete prisoner.

After the success with her massaging technique the queen wanted to see her regularly and called for her four or five times a day. Anne was sort of nice but also incredibly snobbish and stubborn. She certainly wasn't the easiest person to deal with, but Clara got along with her just fine by restraining her own temper and emanating gentleness as well as warmth. Somehow her common sense told her that the queen really needed that, a warm-hearted, open person, who actually listened to what she was saying. Clara very well knew that she had a different approach than most of her colleagues. Well, if she was honest, she had a different approach than most people. Especially here she felt like a complete outsider. On the one hand the household staff was welcoming her, on the other hand they were all very careful around her. One of the nicer maids, Martha Jones, told her that most thought her being sort of weird because she spoke very rarely during dinner but always seemed to listen intently to everyone else. Half of the personnel was scared she was some sort of spy.

"I promise you, I'm no spy, Martha", she told her smiling broadly.

"Well, _I_ know that. You are way too odd to be an actual spy."

They both laughed, when suddenly a maid entered the room. Clara knew, the queen wanted to see her - for the fifth time today. Martha had to help prepare the evening meal for king and queen anyway.

When stepping into the bedchambers Clara could already hear the queen shouting at some poor maid for choosing an unseasonable dress. 

"Milady, how can I be of assistance?" 

The queen looked at her furiously.

"Finally, someone with enough sanity and reason. Perhaps you can pick an adequate dress for tonight? It's quite chilly and I definitely won't wear…that."

She pointed at a thin golden beige dress, which was laying crumpled in one corner of the room. 

Clara remained calm and even-tempered.

_Ok, it's time to set boundaries…_

"Milady, I'm sorry but I can't help you."

"What? Why?" 

Her voice sounded sharp now.

"If you will pardon my saying so but I'm your midwife, not your maid", she explained seriously before ending on a more cheerful note: "Besides, look at me. I'm less-than-fashionable." 

She pointed at her light gray high-necked dress and smiled until the queen herself had to smile. 

"Well, anyway I called for you because Madame Boursiers is back. She wants to speak with you immediately. However, I will join your conversation as soon as I'm dressed. I wish to be present when you talk about my child. She is waiting in the habitable room."

Clara nodded, bowed and tried to oppress her excitement on her way to the other room. She would finally meet her idol. 

"Bonsoir, Madame Boursiers. I'm absolutely delighted to meet you in person." 

Clara's whole face was beaming with joy.

"Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Clara. Oh, my dear, what did I get you into? You are far too young and pretty for the French Court." 

Madame Boursiers smiled while touching her shoulders affectionately. Clara instantly felt comfortable in her presence.

"Thank you, Madame, that's too kind, but rest assured, I'm older in spite of how I look."

"Of course, and as I've heard also a lot cleverer than an old lady. Come sit with me, dear. So, how do you like living here so far?"

Clara knew she had to be careful, even in front of Madame, whose writings she had studied many times, and who seemed like a trustworthy person. 

"I'm very happy and deeply grateful to have the opportunity to work here. It's an absolute honor to care for the queen."

"Of course, I'm enormously relieved that you feel comfortable. However, if you have any problem don't hesitate to contact me, all right? Sometimes life here can get pretty overwhelming." 

_Should I ask her about the Cardinal?_

Clara was uncertain about her next step and hesitated. Madame Boursiers noticed and took her hands softly into her own.

"What's on your mind, my dear?"

"Sorry, it's fine. Just…"

_The Cardinal costed me my position and I don't know why he did that. This nescience begins to drive me nuts."_

No, even if she wanted to confide in her she knew she shouldn't.

"It's just that I still have to become acquainted with so many people, it gets mind-blowing from time to time."

For a short moment the Madame knitted her eyebrows before her face relaxed again.

"Don't you worry. As long as you stick to the people who are reliable all will be fine."

The queen entered at last, wearing the golden beige dress after all. Half an hour they spent together talking about preparations for the birth. Madame Boursiers complimented Clara on the massage technique and asked if she was allowed to write it down for a future book to help other midwifes-in-training. Clara happily accepted.

After the queen left for dinner, Madame Boursiers hold Clara back: "We should definitely continue our talk another time, perhaps sometime next week with a nice cup of tea?" 

"Of course, Madame, with pleasure. But now excuse me, I really need to get to the kitchen."

Another week passed. She met Madame Boursiers several times, so she could show her everything she needed to know. The elderly lady was as kind as she was intelligent and Clara enjoyed working with her a great deal. Their mutual sympathy and similar approaches rubbed off on the queen. She didn't have any mood swings lately and tried her best to stay strong even though Clara saw the fear in her eyes during every examination.

This Wednesday morning she seemed to be even more scared than usually.

"The child, it hasn't moved since yesterday. The days before it was always very active, but now, there is nothing."

Madame Boursiers exanimated her hastily and came to the conclusion that nothing was wrong.

"Milady, please calm down. Everything is perfectly fine. The baby probably sleeps or saves its energy for the big moment."

"May I?" Clara asked her mentor, not sure if Madams examination was thorough enough.

"Of course, but I'm sure you will come to the same result."

"No, no, there must be something wrong. I can feel it", the queen desperately explained.

Clara started to learn quickly as a midwife to always listen very closely to the feelings of an expectant mother. She started to feel for the unborn child and its position. The queen herself was staring at her petrified. Something was wrong...very wrong. 

Quietly but sternly she voiced her concerns: "Milady, I suspect the child has moved and is not in the right position."

"That's absolute nonsense, Mademoiselle. Don't unsettle and scare her majesty."

Anne, now pale as her bedsheets, didn't listen to Madame Boursiers. 

"What…what does that mean?"

"Usually the problem can be fixed with an external massage but if you say the child hasn't moved since yesterday I am worried that the umbilical cord wrapped itself around the baby's neck."

"How can you say such things to a mother-to-be who is already frightened enough without your wild speculations?"

"Madame Boursiers, excuse me, but these are no wild speculations, this is my honest opinion. I think we should take actions now before it is too late."

"Everything is fine with the child. It probably didn't move since yesterday because of the strained nerves of her majesty which is relatable, don't you think?"

"Apologize, Madame, but I have to disagree. I take her majesty's feelings very seriously and I say, we have to act now to save both their lives. You didn't even examine her thoroughly!" 

Clara tried hard to bridle her anger, but she got more furious by the minute. If a woman and her unborn child were in danger she had to do everything in her power to save them. 

"How dare you defy me? Don't you know your position, child?" 

"ENOUGH!", the queen yelled, trying her best to compose herself. 

"What shall we do, Mademoiselle Clara?"

"But…"

"I didn't ask you, Madame."

"We should send for the doctor. He is a good friend of mine and has already performed a Caesarean section two years ago. The child as well as the mother survived. I know it's risky and hasn't been done very often but it's the only chance there probably is for both of you. Your unborn child probably doesn't get enough oxygen right now. It just gets worse with every minute we wait."

"That's madness! In nearly every case child and mother die. You can't possibly suggest to her majesty to be some guinea pig for this doctor, who could be a lunatic for all we know."

"I'll do it", the queen whispered.

"You can't be serious, Milady."

"I'm dead serious, Madame Boursiers. I have lost three children already, I can't bear to lose another one. Either you are with me here or you leave." 

Madame Boursiers shook her head in disbelief before turning around and leaving. 

"Please, send for your doctor, Mademoiselle, and prepare everything", Anne instructed in a low voice.

Before fetching all her instruments, she gently touched the queen's hands. 

"Stay strong, Milady."

While running to her room she gave instructions to one of the servants to bring the doctor here as fast as possible. Quickly she collected her things before entering the corridor again. Without looking she started to sprint in the direction of the queen's bedchambers when suddenly a deep commanding voice filled the entire hallway.

"Stop."

She knew exactly who was standing behind her without needing to turn around. 

_Well, here we go…_

"Cardinal Richelieu, as pleasant as it is meeting your eminence, I'm in a real hurry right now."

"I can see that but there are things we need to talk about first."

Next to the Cardinal Madame Boursiers appeared. 

_No, no, no, no…._

"I'm sorry, my dear. I like you, I like your passion, but you went too far. You are endangering the life of the queen and her child."

The Cardinal remained silent, but his eyes revealed interest in how this whole scenario would play out. 

"Madame, with due respect, I'm trying to save their lives, I'm not endangering them." 

"You sent for a foreign doctor, scrutinized me and tried to drag my name in the mud. I will not let that pass."

"So that what this is about? We are now discussing your reputation instead of saving lives?" 

Clara was absolute furious. 

"You know what? If that's all, I'm now returning to the queen instead of continuing this pointless conversation."

"You will do nothing of the sort", the Cardinal ordered unmoved. 

"Might I inquire why?"

Clara stubbornly put her hands on her hips and stared him right in his cold-hearted eyes. 

"The king was very unhappy about Madame Boursiers report. He came to the conclusion that the procedure is to great of a risk to the queen's life. So, he ordered to stop this madness instantly."

_Ahm…sure, he certainly decided that completely on his own…_

She had to convince the Cardinal somehow that this was the baby's only chance to survive. If she convinced him the king would follow. Making an actual effort to not lose her temper again she stepped closer while he watched her with a spark of amusement in his eyes.

"Cardinal, please, I know it's a dangerous, relatively unknown procedure, but I assure you, I act in the best interest of king and queen."

Now the Cardinal stepped even closer and looked down on her, a wicked smile on his lips.

"You see, and that's exactly where I think we won't find any common ground. You don't act in the best interest of the crown, you put the queen in jeopardy. If she dies because we allowed some mediocre midwife to play out her little selfish dream about self-fulfillment, we put the whole of France at risk."

Clara wouldn't be intimidated by him. She overcame the last distance that separated them, so their bodies nearly collided. Actually, they were so close she could feel the warmth his body emitted.

"Oh, you mean like yourself? If I'm not mistaken that is you, who constantly acts like an egomaniac needy game player", she whispered angrily.

"You know me oh so well, Mademoiselle. But in opposition to you I always win my games, so I suggest, let this matter drop now."

"Then congratulations, Cardinal. You have an unborn child's blood on your hands. If that's how winning looks to you, you are beyond help."

They were both staring at each other for a full minute of complete silence. The tension was unbearable, but both didn't want to give in. Even for Madame Boursiers and the servant who never got out of the palais to inform the doctor, the tension was aggravating to endure.

Finally, the raspy voice of the Cardinal put them out of their misery. 

"Guards, take the mademoiselle to her room and accompany her for the rest of the week. She won't be allowed to visit the queen for as long as she's pregnant."

"That actually makes a _lot_ of sense, you know. I mean, why on earth would a pregnant queen need a midwife? Exactly, it's completely unnecessary. Only when she is no longer pregnant, I can show all my skills."

Her voice was dripping with sarcasm while the guards were taking her back to her room.

"Goodbye, Mademoiselle Olivier. Perhaps you can benefit from your timeout and learn something about respect and good manners."

"That's an amazing idea. I always wanted to look up a nicer word for asshole. I'll definitely keep you informed about my progress."

Richelieu snorted contemptuously but like before there was still this spark of real amusement in his eyes. The guards as well as the servant and the midwife were watching him scared of what he might do to that woman who treated him, the most powerful man in France, so obviously with disrespect. He decided to let it pass for now.

"Madame Boursiers, thank you for your services. Now see after the queen till the child is born and keep me informed about…this disturbingly petulant woman."

"I will."

Before she removed herself, she hesitated for a moment.

"Your eminence, might I ask, why did you order me to write a letter to her in the first place?"

"You might not. Now goodbye, Madame."


	3. The Birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a sucker for happy endings. I just couldn’t follow history (again) and let her have another stillbirth so I pretty much fucked up the whole “close to reality” thing, but still hope you like it! Also, apologies for any other historical inaccuracies, for example what was proper back then/what wasn’t. I’m really not an expert with all the details like how to address a queen/king, so we’ll just roll with it. ;)  
> I Wrote such a long chapter that I will split it into two, so have fun :D

Clara paced the room restlessly. At first, she cursed and screamed at the guards outside her door but then she took a turn for the better by focusing all her energy on a way to save the queen and her unborn child. Somehow, she had to get out of there. An hour passed with no progress at all. Charming the guards failed terribly, climbing out of the window would have been a suicide mission due to the height and trying to get a message outside was utterly impossible. Finally, she collapsed on her bed. To come here was a bad idea altogether. Who was she fooling? Did she really think she could make a change? She covered her eyes, sighing. Suddenly there were weird noises coming from outside, the clang of armor falling to the floor, some rattling, clashing and muffled voices. She leaped to her feet when all of a sudden the door burst open. 

“Martha, what are you doing here?”, she stuttered.

“I thought you could need some help”, Martha answered, smiling broadly and making room for someone, Clara immediately recognized. 

“Doctor! Oh my god, you are here!” 

„Well, obvious..“, but he couldn’t finish because Clara hugged him with such force that he briefly became short of breath. Quickly she released him again.

“But…how?” Confused she looked at Martha and back to the doctor. 

“I guess that’s where I come into play”, an unfamiliar voice said. The man emerged from behind and Clara was stunned. 

“You…you were the servant, I gave instructions to bring the doctor here and you also probably witnessed the whole scene between the Cardinal and me”, she embarrassingly admitted.

He simply smiled and nodded.

“Aye, that was me, Mademoiselle. I’m Mickey by the way. I told Martha here, how you stood your ground against the Cardinal. I must say, that was pretty impressing. Martha then said, we have to help you, so I fetched the doctor anyway. Weirdly enough I didn’t know where to look for him, but somehow he found me.”

The Doctor winked mysteriously. 

“Anyway, we came as fast as possible and knocked the guards out to get you.”

“Speaking of it, we should probably get going if we want to do any saving today”, the Doctor noticed impatiently.

“Of course, just one last question. You know that by helping me you could probably lose your employments, right?”

Martha and Mickey shrugged their shoulders unimpressed.

“Don’t worry. If we really get fired, it was at least worth it. I mean, how often can you outsmart Cardinal Richelieu?” They both snickered.

“Are we finally done with all the pleasantries?”, the Doctor asked, slightly annoyed but with a small smile on his face.

“Yes, let’s go”, Clara said full of beans. 

They all hurried past the two unconscious guards laying in front of her door to the queen’s chambers. There Martha and Mickey wished them good luck and went back to their own duties. Clara didn’t want them to get dragged into all of this any further. If they were lucky the Cardinal wouldn’t find out about their involvement. Obviously, he didn’t even believe she would make it out of her room because there were no guards in front of the queen’s chambers. Good thing, that he still underestimated her.

Now there was only the Doctor and Clara left. They entered as silently as possible and were welcomed by two of the queen’s maids, both of them still very young. All four of them gaped silently at each other but Clara knew, that both maids liked and appreciated her. They have often come to here asking if she could examine their female relatives or asked her personal questions like if they could get pregnant by kissing a man. Now no words were needed. They both grasped the seriousness of the situation and stepped aside. Clara nodded, deeply grateful and walked past them, the Doctor directly behind her. 

In the queen’s bedchamber all curtains were closed. Madame Boursiers was nowhere to be seen. In the darkness there was only a silent sobbing coming from the bed. 

“Clara?” a wobbly female voice asked. 

“Yes, it’s me, Milady. I brought the Doctor I was telling you about. We can perform the Caesarean section right now, if it’s still in your interest…”

Anne cut her short.

“It most definitely is. I thought…I thought…”, she burst into tears again.

“It’s alright, Milady. We’ll try our best but please consider that there is still the possibility that we fail.” 

“You’ll probably want to lock the door. I don’t know when Madame Boursiers will come back.”

The Doctor and Clara both nodded and with the help of the two maids they prepared everything before locking the door for real. Clara didn’t know how much time has passed but the Doctor worked incredibly fast. She neither questioned his weird approach nor all the funny liquids or shiny instruments he had with him. She has seen him doing wonders before. Why should this time be any different? She really tried to understand some of it, but it appeared to her that he knew so much more than he let on. Finally, her educated guess proved itself right and they really did save the child last minute. While being a hundred percent concentrated, she didn’t notice that someone has tried to enter, probably Madame Boursiers. Only when she heard the angry voice of the Madame and the Cardinal accompanied by some guards, she knew their time was up. The Doctor worked quickly and just at the moment when he carefully handed her the newborn and started with the suturing, the guards knocked and shouted to immediately open the door. That seemed to do the trick and the young heir welcomed them with a loud cry. All at once there was silence inside as well as outside the room except for the crying baby. Relieved Clara gently cleaned the boy and checked if everything was alright. After the Doctor finished, the queen hazily asked about the child.

“He is perfectly fine, Milady.”

“He?”, she weakly asked with a small smile on her lips.

“Yes, he. Do you want to see him?”

She nodded, and Clara softly handed her the newborn, which was wrapped in a cozy blanket. It was heartwarming to see them both get acquainted with each other as well as the queen feeding her child for the first time. Quickly afterwards she started to get tired again. 

“Rest, Milady. You did wonderfully.”

Her eyes closed again and while Clara took hold of the baby, the Doctor cleared his throat. 

“Thank you, Doctor. No clue what I would have done without you.”

“No worries. It’s the least I could do. I mean, back then you literally saved my life from these…”

“Please, don’t mention it. I’m still freaked out about whatever happened on that day. You really are an extraordinary man.”

The Doctor smiled secretively.

“Oh, if you just knew…”

Again, there were knocks coming from the door.

“I guess that’s my clue then. Goodbye, Clara.” 

“Will we see each other again?”, she asked hopefully.

“If not in this life than I can most definitely assure you in the next one.”

She didn’t really understand the certainty in his voice but smiled anyway before seeing him climbing out the window. Well, so much for him being weird. 

Clara slowly turned around, the sleepy newborn still in her arms. She cradled him fondly and kissed his head. 

“I think we have to face your friends outside, little one”, she whispered to him before carefully opening the door. 

As soon as the door was open around a dozen pair of eyes watched her flabbergasted. First, she noticed six guards looking at her uncomfortably, not sure what to do now. Right behind them a shy and insecure king, Louis XIII of France, blinked at the tiny child in her arms. Normally she wasn’t very easily impressed but even she had to swallow now, seeing the king standing a couple of meters away. On the other side of the room she recognized the two maids who let her and the Doctor pass earlier. They seemed to be absolutely terrified. At their side an unfamiliar chubby face greeted her. Judging by her clothes it was possibly the wet nurse for the young heir. Next to her although a very familiar face gaped at her stunned: Madame Boursier. She didn’t look as hostile compared to the last time they had seen each other. Professional curiousness was written all over her face and she gifted her with an acknowledging smile. Last but not least she looked into the eyes she most dreaded to look into. The Cardinal stood there unmoved, making her all nervous and tense with his piercing glance. 

Clara straightened up, trying her best to appear brave in front of twelve people, two of them the most powerful in the whole of France and turned to the king while keeping eye contact with the Cardinal.

“Your Majesty, due to the peculiarity of the situation I hope you apologize this act of discourtesy. As a simple midwife I’m certainly not in the position to address you, your Majesty, but I guess extraordinary situations require extraordinary exceptions.”

She stepped a little closer, holding the baby so he could see the face of the healthy boy.

“May I present you your firstborn son?”


	4. The Warm Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheers to a new chapter!

Full of curiosity the king leaned over and studied him. 

“It really is a miracle. In show of gratitude to the Almighty for the long-awaited birth of an heir, he will be named Louis-Dieudonné”, his father declared.

“’God-given’ the boy truly is. What a brilliant idea, if I may say so, your Majesty.” 

Needless to say, the Cardinal had to flatter the king with his best slimy voice before turning his attention to her. Meanwhile the wet nurse appeared at her side taking the child from her after a single hand movement of the Cardinal.

“Congratulations on your triumph, Mademoiselle Olivier, but there are still a couple of question that are really bothering me.”

His voice sounded like he really complimented her, but his eyes told an entirely different story. Now that she had been successful, he couldn’t go against here, at least not in front of the king. He was forced to fake his delight and obviously didn’t enjoy that at all. While smiling most convincingly, his eyes told her that he wouldn’t let that stand. With a more concerned tone he continued.

“Besides all the blessings our God has bestowed on us today, tell me, how’s her Majesty?”

Actually, he was an amazing actor, Clara thought to herself. All that shit about him being worried about the queen was exactly that: bullshit, but she had no other choice than to play his stupid game. 

“I can reassure you, she is perfectly fine, still quite exhausted but resting and soon up and about again.”

In the meantime, the king had grown impatient.

“Cardinal, I don’t see why my attendance is still required. The obliging midwife told me everything I needed to know. My wife and heir are healthy and safe.”

A little relieved Clara breathed out but regretted it immediately because the Cardinal’s watchful eye noticed. Even if the king didn’t hold a grudge against her the Cardinal clearly did and that meant the king would follow sooner rather than later. It was no secret that the king was heavily influenced by Richelieu. 

“Certainly, your Majesty. You surely have to return to more important matters, but you wouldn’t mind if I question Mademoiselle Olivier a bit longer, would you?”

Fuck, Clara thought and hoped for her own good that he had no information whatsoever about a tall male doctor who liked to refer to the number eleven. How on earth should she explain what they had done if she actually had no clue about the details? Ok, she really had to play it cool.

“If it pleases you. Just don’t intimidate her too much. I don’t think her Majesty would approve”, the king replied indifferent before leaving with a couple of guards. The Cardinal, Clara and all the others bowed quickly.

Just when Clara got up again the Cardinal suddenly stood beside her and grabbed her arm forcefully.

“Don’t think your pretty face fools me like it has fooled the king”, he whispered hotly into her ear.

Clara felt a shiver running down her spine as well as something else, which she really didn’t want to give any further serious consideration, too scared of what she might find if she explored her feelings deep down. The Cardinal released her again and gave a couple of commands to the people who were still standing around looking at her pitifully. 

“Madame Boursier, as long as Mademoiselle Olivier is gone, you will take care of the queen. I expect a full report about her condition in a couple of hours. I’m sure her maids will be of assistance. As for the child, the court physician will soon be here and examine him. Until he’s here keep an eye on the wet nurse, will you? The new nursemaid responsible for the newborn will also arrive in the next couple of hours. That’s all for now. Guards, I have to deal with some unfinished business here first, but please accompany Mademoiselle Olivier to my residence. I will be there soon.”

With one last glance and an artificial smile he left. The minute he left Clara rolled her eyes and sighed. 

“Great, just great”, she muttered to herself. 

“Excuse me, Mademoiselle?”, one of the guards said.

“Nothing. Or wait…”, she looked down at her blood-stained dress, “…may I perhaps change before we go?”

The guard started to see her point and nodded shortly.

Thirty minutes later she sat in a carriage, her hands folded in her lap. She had exchanged her light grey dress with a dark blue one. Actually, she had had the intention to wear another one of her grey high-necked dresses, but the guard told her to change again when she had been ready to go.

“If you want to survive the Cardinals interrogation, I suggest you at least try to dress a bit…less like that.”

Clara shot him a reproachful look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

The guard shrugged innocently.

“Hey, don’t go all haywire on me. I’m trying to help you here.”

She skeptically raised an eyebrow.

“How exactly will a dress help me?”

Now he started to avoid her look and fidget uncomfortably.

“Let’s just say, I have known Richelieu for quite some time now, alright? He tends to be nicer and also more lenient towards a woman who looks attractive.”

Clara still wasn’t convinced and crossed her arms in front of her body.

“Are you trying to say I don’t look attractive?”

The guard sighed. 

“Well, no, you are…I mean attractive, but your style…you just…you make yourself uglier with all the grey. Also, your shape gets completely lost under these boxy rags. You have to accentuate your feminine charms more.”

He seemed to get more self-assured with every word.

“Wait a minute, why do you know all this stuff about clothes? And why don’t I? Ok, well, I guess I could blame my father who rather showed me how to patch someone up than the latest fashion trends. It seems I was clearly lacking in a female role model.” 

Clara immediately shut her mouth. Why on earth was she telling him such personal stuff? She trusted no one here and now she told her life’s story a guard who was working for the Cardinal? Has she gone bonkers? 

The lad smiled at her reassuringly.

“You have inherited your father’s medical knowledge and I inherited my father’s tailoring knowledge.”

Now she had to smile herself.

“That’s amazing but why are your working for the Cardinal then?”

His smile disappeared and his eyes got all sad.

“My father got sick a couple of years ago. We had to sell his little shop and nearly everything else. I started to work for the Cardinal because he pays very well. Even though it’s hard and I often struggle with following his orders, I can take care of my parents.”

Clara nodded sympathetically.

“If you want, I can have a look at your father at some point”, she offered.

“Oh no, I could never accept such a generous offer. I’m the one who is handing you over to the Cardinal. Who knows what he has in store for you?”, he replied immediately.

“You most certainly can. Don’t worry too much. I’m pretty sure I can handle him. Besides he can’t really do much because the queen is going to want to see me again in one piece.”

Her voice sounded more confident than she actually felt. He still seemed to be unsure.

“Ok, look, I have a proposition for you. You help me with the whole “how-to-dress-properly-thing” and I am going to examine your father as soon as our mutual friend stops watching every step I take.” 

He beamed at her happily.

“Deal, Mademoiselle Olivier. Thank you so much…”

She raised her hand to stop him there.

“Call me Clara and I’m the one who has to thank you.”

He took her offered hand and kissed it lightly as etiquette dictated but it felt somehow wrong. She would have much preferred to shake his hand amicably.

“I’m Rory by the way.”

“Alright, Rory, let’s find the best dress together.”

Two minutes later he was standing in front of her small wardrobe and pulled out one dress after another. Normally she would be embarrassed if a man looked into her wardrobe, but he acted very professionally due to his pre-experience at his father’s shop. She just heard him mutter some “oh no’s” and small statements about her terrible taste. Finally, he stopped.

“That’s the one”, he exclaimed cheerfully after five minutes while holding a dark blue dress under her nose. Of course, it had to be the one with the lowest neckline she owned. After he left the room again, she changed and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. Admittedly it was very nice, still simple and convenient and not as daring as some of the more fashionable dresses today, but it emphasized all the right places. She just needed to get used to this stupid neckline because right now she caught herself time and time again trying to cover her cleavage. Quickly she went back outside to the waiting Rory who seemed to be very proud of his work. 

“Remind me, why should I look all pretty again?”

By no later than now her nerves started to go into panic mode. She remembered the Cardinal being very angry and pissed off half an hour ago. She really didn’t know what to expect of this interrogation. At first, she wasn’t really afraid of him but since that moment when he whispered into her ear, she was terrified. Perhaps not so much about him but more about herself and what she could do. She started to lose her trust in herself when she was around the Cardinal.

Rory noticed her rising panic and tried his best to calm her down.

“Don't forget, you are doing this so he recognizes and appreciates your beauty and realizes he doesn’t want to harm or hurt such elegancy.”

Clara grabbed his hand when she remembered what he had said before.

“But he told me, that my pretty face won’t fool him. So why try now?”

Rory suddenly started to grin mischievously. 

“Clara, don’t you see? That proves, that he already think’s you’re pretty.” 

She looked at him like he had completely lost his mind.

“That's not very logical, is it?”

He just shook his head. 

“Just be confident, Clara, as you are in your ugly dresses. Everything else will sort itself out.”

Back in the carriage she thoughtfully watched the people on the streets. She still didn’t like Paris as much as she wanted to. The city had offered her safety when her home couldn’t provide the same secureness anymore. Yet, she has never felt at home. The carriage suddenly turned right and halted in the middle of a small courtyard. They were here. 

Rory helped her to get out and accompanied her with two other guards to Richelieu’s office where she was asked to wait. He took his leave because of other responsibilities but wished her good luck one last time. The other two guards also left in search for something to eat after telling her the Cardinal wouldn’t be around for another hour. They also told her she had to stay here and threatened her with not so nice things if she should have the brilliant idea to leave the room. Certainly, they knew, that she could impossibly stay in that sparse office when a big unfamiliar house full of secrets and mysteries waited for her to be explored? Yes, she thought, while silently closing the door to the office, they most certainly knew.

**Author's Note:**

> Love it, hate it? Let me know. :)  
> I'm always happy to hear from you.


End file.
